Day 3...

Can you find Gracie in the midst of all of her "Cuddles"?

For those of you who have not been introduced to Cuddles, he (I don't know why we call him a "him", since he's pink) is her little tag-along buddy, who we must have at all times! She's had him since birth and I think I could easily maintain a separate blog on the "Adventures of Cuddles". Everywhere Gracie goes, Cuddles goes, and if for some reason he gets left behind... well, you just cannot leave Cuddles behind! Gracie relies on Cuddles. He can comfort her when she is sick or hurt, he's dried her little tears, and helps her sleep peacefully every night. She loves him so much!

This is the "original" Cuddles. As you can imagine, he gets a little dirty, and has become quite worn, as he's been toted from place to place over the past 14 months. We've made multiple attempts to switch out the old Cuddles for the new, but Gracie cannot be fooled. She completely rejects them and requests her "real" Cuddles. He's here to stay, and as far as she's concerned, he's the only one. :)

And here are a few other photos from today:

Day 2...

What a lovely Thursday afternoon! After making sandwiches, packing a cooler, and being absolutely sure to grab the camera, we took Gracie to the park for a picnic. It's one of my favorite things to do. We love when Daddy can join us, which he did today before heading to work, but we also enjoy going just the two of us, a mommy/daughter picnic. My thought was that the park would be a great place to get today's photo, but after turning my camera on and attempting to take that first shot, I realized I left the memory card at home... Luckily, I know there will be many more opportunities for park pictures. In fact, I can only imagine how many will find their way to this blog over the coming year... :) Instead, here are a few of Gracie after returning home. She loves her Little People! She is showing Mommy her "lady" in this picture:

And here she is, looking very serious, with her bus and people...

Gracie is also learning to point out her body parts! She can point to her nose, ears, and toes when asked!

The title says it all...

So, I decided it was time to give Gracie's website a little makeover, and in the process have taken it in a completely different direction! The basic concept remains the same; I want to keep family and friends updated on the always growing and changing Gracie, while providing a place where I can communicate my thoughts on life with our one year old daughter. In an attempt to keep things interesting, however, I have created this blog with the intention of posting at least a picture a day, giving you a little peek into our daily lives. In addition, this blog will challenge me to pick up my camera every day and preserve those precious moments, the ones that bring true beauty to my world.

And so we begin...

I feel that in order to really get this blog going, I have to say a little something about my Grace. She is, after all, the star of this show. Gracie came into our world on May 27, 2008. From the very beginning, she was full of spunk, attitude, and curiosity. She is persistent and strong-willed (we'll blame her Daddy), as well as tender-hearted and affectionate (I'll claim these). She can throw some of the best temper-tantrums I've ever seen, and give hugs that bring tears to your eyes. For her Daddy and me, she is the true meaning of the word "blessing", and brings a happiness and peace to our lives that are beyond words. I'm looking forward to sharing this happiness with you, day by day!

Day 1...

Although I'm starting my "year in pictures" today, the 29th of July, I have to begin by going back. Yesterday, we took Gracie to the N.C. Aquarium in Pine Knolls. We joined Sean's older brother and sister, their spouses, one of two younger brothers, and our nieces! Needless to say, it was an exciting trip, and a first for Gracie. Can I just tell you that she loved watching the fish!?! She talked non-stop as we stopped at tank after tank, checking out hundreds of fish, turtles, a few frogs, and some serious looking sharks. By the end of it, she was knocked out in her stroller. Following the aquarium, we made a quick trip to the beach. This was also a first for Gracie! She was not a fan of having the sand between her toes, the strong ocean breeze, or of the rolling waves. It was, nonetheless, a beautiful thing. She clung to her daddy (also a sand-hater) and pointed at the low-flying seagulls while we watched the girls run in and out of the ocean, big smiles on their faces.

As for today, "Day One", it's been consumed by nothing more than just enjoying a low-key day. Gracie slept in until 11:00 this afternoon (that's what an aquarium/beach trip will do to you!). We've spent the rest of the day hanging out with Daddy, who was able to stay home with us today, and getting in some much needed chill time! Here's a little peek into Gracie's day: